The USS Harry Truman played a major role in countering the Iranian-backed groups’ hostile behavior in the Red Sea.

The USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier’s long and quite eventful deployment has finally come to an end. The massive Nimitz-class aircraft carrier returned to its homeport of Norfolk, Virginia, this week following an eight-month deployment to the US 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operation. The Harry S. Truman was initially scheduled to be out at sea for six months, but escalations in global security dynamics particularly in the Middle East led to the carrier’s extension. Most recently, the American warship took part in Neptune Strike 2025-1 exercise alongside several NATO allies, demonstrating the intergovernmental organization’s joint maritime strike capabilities. While the Nimitz ships are expected to ultimately be replaced by their Ford-class successors down the line, these formidable carriers continue to represent the pinnacle of America’s sea-based power projection apparatuses.

During the Truman’s extended deployment out at sea, several incidents transpired that perhaps made the carrier’s most recent deployment one of its most memorable. Right before Christmas in 2024, an F/A-18F Super Hornet attached to the carrier strike group was shot down in what the US Central Command called an “apparent case of friendly fire.” Two aircrew members were able to eject safely and were eventually rescued from the waters after the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG-64) mistakenly fired upon the fighter which flew off of the carrier. If one downed Super Hornet was concerning enough, the Harry S. Truman would eventually lose two more of its top-tier fighter jets. Last month, a Super Hornet fell overboard the Nimitz-class carrier. While initial reports suggested that the warship had made a hard turn in an effort to evade Houthi-launched fire which could have caused the mishap, confirmation has not been publicized. One week later, the carrier would lose a second Super Hornet following an issue with the arresting wires meant to catch the jet onboard.

While the loss of three Super Hornets, costing the Navy roughly $180 million, alone is bad enough, USS Harry S Truman also suffered from a collision during its deployment. In February, the carrier collided with the merchant vessel Besiktas-M in the vicinity of Port Said, Egypt. While the carrier’s propulsion plants were unaffected, damage occurred on the starboard side aft of the warship, impacting the underside of a sponson with a .50 caliber machine gun.

Despite the few mishaps that made the Truman’s deployment particularly eventful, the carrier’s time at sea was undoubtedly successful. As part of a campaign that saw US forces strike over 1,000 Houthi targets, the Harry Truman played a major role in countering the Iranian-backed groups’ hostile behavior in the Red Sea. The carrier’s aircraft contingent has proved to be particularly essential to its efforts in this tense threat climate. Featuring steam catapults, a range of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft can be launched from the Truman and its sister ships. The F/A-18 Super Hornet has carried out dozens of bombardments targeting Houthi assets in Yemen and in defending the carrier against drone attacks. While the Harry S. Truman’s deployment has come to an end, USS Carl Vinson will remain in the region for the time being.

About the Author: Maya Carlin

Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.

Image: DVIDS.

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